1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one olefin copolymer, which is soluble or dispersible in a fatty phase, and which is useful, in particular, for the cosmetic, dermatological, pharmaceutical and hygiene fields. More especially, the invention relates to a composition for the care and/or make-up of the skin, both of the human face and of the human body, the mucous membranes such as the lips and the inside of the lower eyelids, or the superficial body growths such as the eyelashes, eyebrows, nails and hair.
The composition of the invention as a product can be provided, in particular, in the form of a stick or a dish, such as lipsticks or lip balms, cast foundations, products for combating rings under the eyes, eyeshadows or face powders, in the form of a paste or cream which is more or less fluid such as liquid foundations, liquid lipsticks, eyeliners, make-up for the body, sun protection or skin coloring compositions, or mascaras, or in the form of free or compacted powders.
2. Description of the Background
Products for the make up or care of the skin or lips of human beings, such as foundations or lipsticks, generally comprise fatty phases such as waxes and oils, pigments and/or fillers and, optionally, additives, such as cosmetic or dermatological active principles. They can also comprise so-called &lt;&lt;pasty&gt;&gt; products, which have a supple consistency, which make it possible to prepare colored or colorless pastes which can be applied with a brush.
The use of waxes in formulations presents certain disadvantages. In particular, the degree of crystallinity of these waxes is difficult to control and the crystallites present are large in size. Consequently, the use of such waxes in compositions for application to keratinous substances such as the skin, lips and superficial body growths, in particular in cosmetic compositions, results in the applied compositions, and consequently the film applied, becoming matte in appearance.
To overcome this problem, attempts have been made to use conventional polyolefins in place of waxes in cosmetic formulations. Here again, however, the degree of crystallinity is too high and is difficult to control. In addition, the size and the morphology of the crystallites, predominantly of spherulite type, are harmful to the production of compositions having the desired cosmetic properties, in particular of gloss.
Patent Application JP 65809 (assigned to the Company Shiseido), describes lipstick compositions comprising a siloxysilicate resin (with a three-dimensional network), a volatile silicone oil with a cyclic silicone chain and pulverulent fillers. Likewise, JP 62-61911, assigned to the Company Noevier, discloses lipstick, eyeliner and foundation compositions comprising one or more hydrocarbon-comprising waxes. WO 97/17362, assigned to Revlon, also discloses semimatte cosmetic compositions comprising a volatile solvent and an organosiloxane polymer emulsifier comprising at least one hydrophilic radical or portion and at least one lipophilic radical or portion.
These compositions have the disadvantage of leaving on the lips, after evaporation of the silicone oils, a film which becomes uncomfortable over time, i.e. a feeling of dryness and of tautness is experienced, dissuading some women from using this type of lipstick.
WO 96/36323, assigned to Procter & Gamble, discloses mascara compositions of the water-in-oil emulsion type, which exhibit good hold and which exhibit resistance to water. These compositions comprise, inter alia, a water-insoluble polymer, generally known as a latex, in combination with a surfactant of the alkyl- or alkoxydimethicone copolyol type, hydrocarbon-comprising oils, pigments and fillers, as well as waxes.
WO-A-96/10642, assigned to Revlon, discloses a glossy cosmetic composition comprising a polymer, which is an adhesive at room temperature, a volatile solvent, a non-volatile oil and a particulate dry material. The adhesive polymers are selected from polymers having a vinyl, methacrylic or acrylic backbone and pendant siloxane and fluorinated groups, polymers having a vinyl, methacrylic or acrylic backbone and pendant siloxane groups, and block or grafted vinylsilicone copolymers.
In addition, EP 0 497 144 and FR 2,357,244 disclose compositions comprising a styrene-ethylene-propylene block copolymer in combination with waxes, light or volatile oils and pigments. These compositions exhibit the disadvantage of not being very comfortable, of having indifferent cosmetic properties and of being difficult to formulate.
The need, therefore, remains for a composition which does not exhibit the above disadvantages and which has a more or less glossy appearance, depending on the wish of the consumer, which does not dry, over time, the skin or the lips on which it is applied and which does not cause discomfort.